Dragon Age: Origins
by Luthien Oakenshield
Summary: Follow the noble and the city elf from there origin to Ostagar. From their joining to defeating the Archdemon. However. it will prove to be more difficult then ever thought possible. In the middle of it all lies romance. Will the new wardens be able to stay with their loved ones? But, more importantly, will they cope? Read on to find out.


**DRAGON AGE:ORIGINS**

**I**

**SKYE **

_"Duncan, I beg my wife and daughter to safety." The Teyrn of Highever begged to the Grey Warden kneeling infront of him. His fine clothing was stained with blood, mostly his own. All he wanted was his wife and daughter safe. He didn't care what happened to himself once they had left. He knew he wasn't going to make it anyway. At least, if they got out safetly, then they would be away from Howe for a while, and they would be able to meet Fergus back at Ostagar._

_"I will your Lordship." Duncan agreed, hos voice somewhat calm on for a crisis on such a grand scale. it was like he was hiding something. "But I fear I must ask for something in return."_

_"Anything!" Bryce stated hurriedly. His voice was shaky and full of terror and pain._

_"What is happening here appears to be in comparison with the evil now loose in this world." Duncan stated, "I came to your castle seeking a recruit. The darkspawn threat means I should leave with one."_

_Bryce looked at his daughter, Skye. His eyes full of sorrow and despair, but he knew that it was for the greater good. As long as his daughter lived to get there, he would be happy. He was always happy that Skye was his daughter and no one else's, and she had her own life ahead of her._  
_He sighed, "I...understand."_

_Duncan turned his head towards Skye, "Truthfully, you were always my first choice." He looked back at the Teyrn, "I will take the Teyrna and your daughter to Ostagar to tell Fergus and the king what happened, Then your daughter joins the order."_

_Bryce looked away completely as he said, "As long as justice comes down," he looked up as Duncan again, "Then I agree." He sounded beaten. Bryce never wanted any of his children to become Grey Wardens, Ever, But it was going to happen now. His eyes were full of reluctance as Duncan looked at Skye once more._

_"Then I offer you a place within the Grey Wardens, Fight with us."_

_"As long as I get a chance foe vengeance, then so be it." Skye said with an icy glare full of hatred and anger, yet, her tone was saddened, maybe even distant._

_"We will inform the king, and he can punish Howe." The Warden said, "I am sorry. But a Grey Warden's duties take presidence over vengeance."_

_"He thinks he'll use the chaos to advance himself." The Teyrn looked at his daughter, "Make him wrong, pup. See that justice is done once this is over. See that your duties are done first. The daarkspawn must be defeated. You must go. For your own sake, and for Fereldan's."_

_Skye nodded, her voice shaky as she chocked on her own words, "I will father. For you."_

_Duncan stood, "We must go quickly then."_

_Eleanor, the Teyrna, looked at her husband and spoke, "Bryce, are you sure?"_

_Bryce looked at his wife, "Our daughter will not die over Howe's treachery. She will live, and make her mark on the world._

_"Darling, go with Duncan." Eleanor told her urgently, "You have a better chance to escape without me."_

_"Eleanor?"_

_"Hush Bryce." She began, "I will kill anyone who comes through that door to buy them time. But I won't abandon you."_

_Skye shook her head in refusal, but she knew nothing would change her mother's mind once she was set, "I love you both so much."_

_"Then live, darling." Eleanor smiled softly, assuring her daughter, "Become a Grey Warden and do what is right."_

_Bryce grimaced, and he sounded on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry it had to come to this, love."_

_"Shh, Bryce. We lived a good life. We did all we could. It's up to our children now."_

_Over the sound of the gate to the keep breaking and collapsing, Bryce spoke. "Go, pup. Warn your brother. And know that we love both of you. You'll do us proud."_

_Duncan put a hand on Skye's shoulders, "They've broken through the gates. We've got to leave."_

_"Good bye darling." Her mother cried after her daughter as Skye upped and left. Eleanor was filled with great sadness, but she stood up and took her bow. As soon as the first soldier walked in, she fired an arrow. It sank deep into the man's neck, spurting blood everywhere. The Teyrna shot at whoever walked through that door until she was eventually shot down herself. Her body sprawled out on the stone floor. Her blood oozing from her body and covering the floor, meeting her dead husbands blood._

**Fires roared hungrily as they swallowed up buildings with their cackling laughter, ringing in Skye's ears. The screams of citizens made her shiver. The **flames of fires were warm enough to leave blisters on anyone who ventured to close. The smell of burnt and rotten flesh, along with the stench of fresh blood, wafting violently up her nostrils, making her gag and left her feeling queasy. Her leather armour was covered in blood and gore, sweat trickled from her brow. She searched the best she could with her eyes for the Arl as she began to flee with her mabari war hound, Rufus, and Duncan.

She didn't want to leave her parents to die alone. She didn't want her parents to rot in Highever. She didn't want any of this to happen and, worst of all, she didn't expect Howe to betray her family at all. It was a great shock even though she always thought that Howe was a snivelling snake with a big mouth, an arrogant - if not ignorant - attitude, suspicion that radiated off of him, and one of the worst families ever. She used to respect him due to him fighting alongside her father, Teyrn Loghain and the great King Maric once. But now, the respect she had for the Arl had diminished quicker than anyone could say 'Thedas'; all she could think about was the pleasure and pride she would feel in killing him just like her had killed her father.

As she ran through the burning city of Highever alongside Duncan, her surroundings seemed to move in slow motion, like everything had slowed to a crawl in the space of a few seconds. She wondered how long it would take for them to reach the city gates. She was nervous, petrified. And the sight of Howe's men slitting the throats of the innocent was enough to make her downright horrified.

The fires began to reach out to their next victims, including Skye, as the city gate grew closer and closer, everything returning to normal speed quickly. In front of it in an organized formation, stood at least fifty of his men. As much as she wanted to fight, she knew it would be a lost cause.

"Looks like we're trapped in here." Duncan said irritably.

Skye shook her head, "The secret tunnels aren't far from her. Follow me." She turned and heading towards the tunnels on her right, not bothering to see if Duncan was following.

Skye had to duck several timed from volleys of arrows, javelins and other projectiles. Some flew so close that they were only millimetres from her ear or nose. Others caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand. She even had to dodge past either a fleeing citizen, charging soldiers or she had to volt over the dead. Now that Skye thought about it, the guards were fighting valiantly, but they had lost way too many men. Howe had lost barely anyone. Skye had the motivation and adrenaline to fight, but she thought better of it.  
_What would mother and father think of me if I just attacked? _She thought, _They would think me a fool and a waste of time. Either that or a suicidal maniac._

After what felt like two hours instead of two minutes, both Skye and Duncan reached the tunnel entrance. On the outside, it looked like an abandoned shrine. It was decorated with two white pillars on either side of the doorway that were made of marble. They held up a triangular roof that was also made of ruins. The roof was now in ruins. The door was blocked with wood hammered to the door frame. Determined not to be beaten, she unsheathed her family blade from the scabbard at her side, and hacked at the wood. It didn't take long for the barrier to be broken. The wood was rotten, or at least rotting. Behind was a heavier stone door. She leant against it on her shoulder and pushed on it. The door opened just enough for Skye to fit her fingers in the gap and push the door to the side. There was a rumble and the building shook, dust fell from the roof and landed on the floor, creating a dust cloud. Skye swatted the dust away and took a look around for any soldiers. There were none.

Skye walked on gingerly, her face almost coming into contact with a spider web. The walls were of natural bed rock and torches were already lit on the walls. She took one and began walking forward. The entrance closed with another loud thud, shaking the passage slightly.  
_There goes our way out. Again._

The passage was dark and spider webs covered the side exits. There was a scuttling noise and the sight of a single solitary big, long, spindly, hairy leg. Skye walked up to it curiously and it scurried away. That time she saw it's back end and it's sighed. In total, it ad four long, hairy legs, two unpleasantly sharp yet rounded mandibles and an obnoxiously large bottom. She mentally swore at herself for not realizing that it was one of her greatest fears: Giant Spiders. Her arachnophobia wasn't as bad as it used to be, but she would freeze for a few moments sometimes. Apart from that, seeing spiders just caused her to ich. Not wanting to be seen as hostile towards the creature, she simply walked away from it and towards the exit.

She knew she was close to the exit when she could feel a light breeze sift through her long hair, hear the crickets chirping away light heatedly, and smell the flowers, or the wet dog smell. Either one was handy.

The tunnels had cut a passage beneath Highever and came out a fifteen minute walk from the city, far enough away to flee the Arl's men quickly. The tunnels used to be used by smugglers, bandits thieves and poachers. When they were caught, they were used by the merchants to get away from any criminals and beasts. It was closed after a body pile was found down there. The murderer was a fellow who had gone of his rocker. It was surprising that they even he was the killer through all the drabble he spoke about. Nothing but a nuisance in Skye's opinion.

Skye dropped the torch on the damp grass. When it began to smoke, she sprinted away into the outskirts of the nearby forest. The trees were thickly distributed, their tall silhouettes reaching up towards the moon up to join the dark, night sky. Even from where she was, Skye could still hear the screams.

She came to a sudden halt and turned, seeing the devastation. Fires roaring and glowing brightly with hinger and anger. Fiery hands reached out to any fuel it could find, buildings or people, the fires wouldn't care. The fires reflection was visable in her eyes, burning like a sun as the image burned itself onto her soul and into her memory.

Skye felt so weak. Everything she had since birth and everything she had earned and loved, apart from her mabari, was gone in the blink of an eye. Her life was gone. She was a fugitive now - at least until she was a Warden - and running sounded exhausting. Tears silently rolled down her rosy cheeks. All she could do was watch and stare painfully at the burning city. She shut out the rest of the world without even knowing.

"I will take my revenge on Howe. I promise you that much." She growled, clenching her fists as she looked up at the once peaceful sky, billowing smoke and ashes threatening to hide the moon.

"Come young Cousland." Duncan said, putting a hand on Skye's shoulder, "We cannot linger much longer."

Skye sighed, "Where are we headed?" She asked, unclenching her fists and hanging her head down low.

"We need to got Denerim to search for more recruits." He replied simply.

She turned and nodded with a heavy sigh. Duncan began to walk off with Skye behind him. She glanced back at Highever one last time, then walked further into the forest.


End file.
